Issue - meetings

Purpose of Report

To advise the Executive of the Council’s recent Next Steps Accommodation Programme bid and seek approval to deliver the capital element of this bid.

Decision

(1)      That, subject to confirmation by the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government of a successful bid, the capital and revenue funding for the provision of move-on accommodation be approved.

(2)      That the Director of Housing and Investment, in consultation with the Chief Finance Officer, be authorised to approve the acquisition of one-bedroom self-contained dwellings and result the resulting budget implications in the Housing Investment Programme and the Housing Revenue Account.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

None.

Reason for Decision

On 18 July 2020 the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government announced the Next Steps Accommodation Programme which consisted of revenue funding to provide immediate support to people living in Covid-19 emergency accommodation and capital and revenue funding to provide resettlement accommodation in the form of supported longer-term move-on housing for people recovering from rough sleeping.

The criteria associated with each aspect of the Programme was set out in the report.

Further to moderation by the Ministry, the City of Lincoln Council’s bid comprised:

·       £62,026 revenue funding for 2020-21 to provide immediate support to people living in Covid-19 emergency accommodation. This funding was announced on 17 September 2020 and had been accepted;

·       capital and revenue funding to provide supported longer-term move-on housing for people recovering from rough sleeping for the purchase and repair of 15 one-bedroom units of self-contained accommodation at an estimated total scheme cost of £1,499,250, a capital grant ask of £824,118 and a revenue grant ask of £150,188 for 2021-24. All unites would be practically complete and occupied by 31 March 2021.

It was reported that, since the writing of the report, the capital grant of £824,118 and a revenue grant of £150,188 had been confirmed subject to further due diligence. The Director of Housing and Investment took this opportunity to thank those colleagues from across the Council who had worked together collectively to deliver the bid in such a short time scale.